New Madrid Seismic Zone

The New Madrid Seismic Zone is a major area of earthquake activity located in the central United States, primarily in parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois. It is unique because it is an active fault zone inside the continent rather than near tectonic plate boundaries like many other earthquake zones. The earthquakes here can be powerful, with historical events reaching magnitudes over 7.0, and they have the potential to cause significant damage over wide areas. The zone's activity is due to ancient fault lines reactivating deep within the Earth's crust, making it important for preparedness and understanding regional seismic risk.